A blog on Cuddalore. CuddaloreOnline contains 'developement oriented' news about Cuddalore, new projects that can be taken up for the development of the town, status of ongoing projects, comments and photographs of Cuddalore. You can also find posts dealing with several aspects of urban planning & design and other issues of general interests (esp.environmental issues). Subscribe for newsletters and join the CuddaloreOnline group.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

The above photo shows the dirty colour of the drinking water received through the Municipal water pipe. The water is so dirty that it raises the questions of safety precautions taken by the authorities in providing the basic amenity to the residents of Tirupapuliyur.

Southern Railways has planned to introduce train service connecting east coast with west coast. This passenger service will connect two port towns, Cuddalore and Mangalore. The proposed route is Cuddalore-Bangalore - Hassan - Mangalore.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

CUDDALORE: Consumer activists and residents of Cuddalore have urged Union Minister of State for Railways R.Velu to extend the Vriddhachalam—Salem train service (to be started from Sunday on the converted gauge system) to Cuddalore.

In a representation, M.Maruthavanan, general secretary of Federation of All Resident Welfare Associations, has urged the Minister to start the Cuddalore—Salem service without delay.

The buses bound for Vriddhachalam were running fully packed and if the commuters were to go to the temple town to catch the train, the situation would worsen.

A large number of commuters bound for Salem were from Cuddalore and therefore it would be apt if the train started from Cuddalore, he said. General secretary of the Cuddalore District Consumer Protection Organisation M. Nizamudeen has urged the Minister to start train services on the Cuddalore—Salem—Bangalore section and Cuddalore—Salem—Coimbatore section.

The Virudhachalam - Salem BG section is being commissioned on 18th Nov.

A Grand function for this is being held at Virudhachalam Junction on 18th Nov. Morning around 10:00 AM.

Minister of State for Railways Mr. R. Velu flags off the first passenger service in this section from Virudhachalam Junction. The first service to be introduced in this section would be a Virudhachalam - Salem Passenger service. MLAs, MPs, State and Central Ministers participate.

The Virudhachalam - Salem Gauge conversion is part of the Cuddalore-Salem Gauge Conversion Project.

For now, it is not known how many train services would be operated in this new Virudhachalam - Salem BG section.

If SR intends to operate only one Virudhachalam - Salem passenger in this section, then it is really a bad decision by SR. In that case, atleast, this Virudhachalam - Salem passenger should be extended to Cuddalore immediately.

Irrespective of the number of services proposed in this new section, SR should run minimum one Cuddalore-Salem passenger.

In fact, if SR can introduce a Cuddalore - Bangalore Fast Passenger or Express, it would be highly useful to people in Cuddalore, Vadalur, Neyveli and Virudhachalam.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Cuddalore as in other fronts, stands ignored in Railway Front too.Luck never seems to favour Cuddalore, in spite of it being a district headquarters. The main cause for Cuddalore's this plight is the lack of political backing for Cuddalore. There are no people to voice for Cuddalore.

The full CUPJ (Cuddalore Port Junction) -VRI (Vridhachalam) Broad Gauge section was thrown open to traffic in Dec. 2003. Only one service to Trichy plying in this section is of much use to the public. Even the other Cuddalore-Vridhachalam passenger is not of much use, as it provides connection only to a nearby town of Vridhachalam, which is at a short distance from Cuddalore.

Four Budgets in 2004,2005, 2006 and 2007 have passed and not even a single addition to the number of services which were introduced when the section was initially thrown open to traffic in Dec. 2003. Very Pathetic.

In contrast, SR is paying attention to every other section converted to BG. But it is this section, which needs SR's attention, focus and concentration badly. A comparison of this section with all the other converted sections will reveal the true picture and also how this section has been totally ignored by SR. Also how Cuddalore has been badly let down by Southern Railway.

Thanjavur-Kumbakona m-Mayiladuthurai section

TJ (Thanjavur) -KMU (Kumbakonam) section was commissioned in early 2004 in connection with Mahamaham. The initial pattern of services were,

1 Pair of KMU-TEN Passengers and 1 Pair of KMU-TPJ passengersIn 2004-2005 TT TJ-MS Rockfort was extended to KMUIn 2005-2006 TT, TJ-CBE Jan Shatabdi was extended to KMU and so also TJ-MYS to KMUWhen the KMU (Kumbakonam) -MV (Mayiladuthurai) section was converted to BG, KMU-TPJ,KMU- TEN passengers and MYS-KMU were extended to MV.Also a new MV-TPJ passenger starting from MV in the morning and returning to MV in the night was introduced.Now in 2007-2008, one more MV-TPJ express has been introduced.

TJ (Thanjavur) -TVR (Tiruvarur) section

This section was commissioned in the second half of 2006. Initial services were 2 Pairs of TVR-TPJ passengers and one pair of TJ-TVR passengers.In the 2007-2008 TT, one more TVR-TPJ passenger has been introduced.

VPT (Virudhunagar) - TSI (Tenkasi) section

In 2004-2005 there was one pair of MDU-TSI passenger and also a weekly MS-TSI Podhigai Super Fast Express. In 2006-2007, one more pair of MDU-TSI passenger was introduced. Now in 2007-2008, one more special MDU-TSI passenger has been introduced and also Podhigai is now running daily.

Pondicherry- Villupuram section.

This section was commissioned in the first half of 2004. Initial services were 1 pair of PDY-MS Fast Passenger and PDY-TPTY passenger. In 2005-2006, 2 to 3 coaches to/from Pondicherry were moved to/from Chennai by Pearl City/Ananthapuri In 2006-2007, Pondicherry- Bhuvaneshwar weekly Super Fast train as well as PDY-MS five-day-a-week express train were introduced.

In contrast, if we take the Cuddalore-Vridhachalam section, the count of services at the time this section was commissioned remains the same even now, that is after 4 years. Not even a single addition. SR is going out of the way to operate services to/from Pondicherry. For two coaches, the attaching/detaching operation is happening at Villupuram on two days to provide a link between Pondy and Chennai. This is in addition to the daily PDY-MS Fast Passenger and Five-Day-a-week express services between Pondy and Chennai. SR is able to find even new timings in the congested MS-VM section to accommodate new trains for Pondicherry, which gesture or act of SR is not to be seen in the case of trains to other places.

Again the patronage in the Pondicherry- Villupuram section for all these three services between Pondy and Chennai are very poor, defeating the very purpose of operating these direct services to Chennai from Pondicherry. There does not seem to be any justification in offering more services to Pondy when the patronage offered/observed is poor and far from satisfactory.

On the other hand, there are sections like the Cuddalore-Vridhacha lam section, where there is a huge demand for train services, but SR does not seem to concerntrate on running more trains in this section. The rakes of these commercially unviable services,like in the PDY (Pondy)-VM (Villupuram) section, can very well be diverted and utilised to run more services in sections, where there is a huge demand for train/rail services like the Cuddalore-Vridhachalam section.

The Cuddalore-Trichy passenger is highly patronised by the people of the Cuddalore-Vridhacha lam section (Excluding Vridhachalam). Even an additional pair of service is very much required. But SR does not seem to take note of all these.

In the first leg of conversion of Cuddalore-Vridhachalam portion of the Cuddalore-Salem section, yes, the Cuddalore-Vridhachalam section has been totally ignored by SR and Trichy division. Now that the remaining portion of Vridhachalam-Salem also has been converted, SR should pay some attention to Cuddalore at least now.

Atleast, in the second leg, let Cuddalore get some justice and attention. SR should introduce direct trains to Bangalore and Coimbatore from Cuddalore via Vridhachalam and Salem. These services would be of high use to the people in places like Cuddalore, Kurunjipaadi, Vadalur and Neyveli coming under the Cuddalore-Vridhachalam section.

When SR is introducing new express services over short distances like the recently introduced Mayiladuthurai- Tiruchchirappall i express, it is but natural for the Cuddaloreans to get an opinion that theirs is the only place which is being treated badly and ignored totally by SR and Tiruchirappalli division.

When SR is running two coaches between Pondy and Chennai and an attaching/detaching operating happening for this at Villupuram, people tend to get an opinion that SR is only not able to do anything to Cuddalore, whereas it is doing and able to do something or the other, with respect to the other places.

The above mentioned places have a sound political backing that keeps things moving for them and in their favour, which backing unfortunately is not available for Cuddalore. Nobody to represent and voice Cuddalore's Cause to the Railways.

There is one group called South Arcot Railway Passengers'Association. Unfortunately, this group is also not voicing Cuddalore's cause and needs and also not getting things done for Cuddalore. This group is supposed to voice Cuddalore's needs to Railways. But unfortunately no.

Can this Cuddalore Online Group do something to effectively voice and represent Cuddalore's cause and needs to Railways, so that Cuddalore will get attention and consequently more train services for Cuddalore which would only be a big boon to the people of Cuddalore. After all, is not rail journey the most comfortable one when compared to bus journeys ? Hence more the train services from Cuddalore, more they will be useful for the people of Cuddalore to make a comfortable journey to different places.

Saturday, November 03, 2007

The following picture shows how a speed breaker should be.Picture courtesy - www.delhitrafficpolice.nic.in

PS: Click on the picture to view a bigger oneThe guidelines to be followed before a decision for laying a speed breaker can be read at this site

But in many places around Cuddalore, speed breakers are laid as five successive humps at a span of 60 feet. One such is shown in the above picture. Location : Semmandalam - Kammiampet road connecting Panruti road.

From the traffic point there should be only one speed breaker to control the traffic, but such a number of humps in the name of speed breakers is proving a hindrance to the road users.